- Opening Time : 8:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Your main duty is taking care of the host family’s children and entertaining them. So you are not the cleaning woman or house keeper of the host family! So, you don’t have to clean the floors of the house, the windows or do any gardening.
But keep in mind: children are dirty. Be it during the meals, in the bathroom or in other parts of the house, it can get dirty.
In this case it is part of your au pair job to clean up after the meals, wash the used pots, clean the table and clean the dining room. Also, you are responsible for small house chores. For example, loading and unloading the dish washer is one of the tasks host parents like to pass on to their au pairs. On the other hand, keeping your room clean is not part of your working hours.
Should you feel that your host family is taking advantage of you because they always give you jobs you are are not really supposed to do as an au pair we recommend talking to your host parents. Make an appointment with them (preferably when the children are asleep or not at home) and talk to both parents. During this conversation you should point out objectively that the tasks they give you are not considered typical au pair duties. Ask them to stop giving you this kind of tasks. In most cases, after such a conversation, the host family will respect the agreement.
However, if they keep giving you tasks you are not supposed to do as an au pair, it’s best to go to an au pair counseling office. As an au pair, you also have the option of changing host families.
Below you can find a list of tasks that are not meant for au pairs.
